Susan Fancher is one of the pioneers of her generation of saxophonists.  Her work has produced dozens of commissioned works by contemporary composers, as well as published transcriptions of music by composers as diverse as Josquin Desprez, Ben Johnston and Steve Reich.

 

The premiere of Hilary Tann's Shakkei for soprano saxophone and orchestra was be presented on Saturday, November 1, 2008 by Susan Fancher and the National Orchestra of Brazil, under the leadership of Ligia Amadio.  The Asian premiere will take place in July 2009 at the World Saxophone Congress in Bangkok, Thailand.  Other current projects include a new CD release In Two Worlds (Innova 736) featuring exciting new music for saxophone and electronics and live performances of that repertoire, as well as the recording of the saxophone music of composer Stuart Saunders Smith.

 

The Red Clay Saxophone Quartet's current season focuses on a multi-media oratorio for soprano voice, dance, video and saxophone quartet by Burton Beerman entitled Tikvah (Hope).  Also, the Quartet joins forces with Argentine tango duo Lorena Guillena and Alejandro Rutty in an exciting concert program called "Never Too Tango!"

 

Susan Fancher has recorded over 10 CDs available on the Philips, New World Records, Lotus Records Salzburg, Extraplatte and Innova labels.  Her first solo recording Ponder Nothing, released in 2002 on the Innova label, features her composer-approved arrangements of music by Steve Reich and Ben Johnston.  Her newest CD In Two Worlds features music by John Anthony Lennon, James Paul Sain, Mark Engebretson, Reginald Bain, Judith Shatin, Morton Subotnick and Edmund Campion.

 

Susan Fancher is a regularly featured columnist for the nationally distributed Saxophone Journal.  She is a clinician for the Selmer and Vandoren companies and teaches saxophone at Duke University and at the Hartwick College Summer Music Festival.